NicksCF

The Curse of Brockton

The travellers left the Nameless village on the road to Ostalin. They journeyed through quiet, snowy woods. They passed through an empty village whose inhabitants had been slaughtered by raiders.

The Peaceful Traveller

Some way down the road from the desecrated village, they met a traveller coming in the opposite direction. He stopped to talk. His name was Parius, a wayfarer of Ellesland, a healer and a man of peace. Jonulf noticed he had something of the Cunning Folk’s look about him. Parius spoke of a knight who guarded a bridge ahead, challenging all who crossed it to a duel. But the road to Ostalin lay on the other fork, Parius explained, so the knight could be bypassed. Parius then went on his way.

The Bridge

Sure enough, at a fork in the path lay a bridge. On the bridge stood a knight with a flaming red moustache. A green and white striped tent was nearby, with a bored-looking page standing near.

Jonulf was anxious to avoid trouble, and suggested hurrying away towards Ostalin Abbey. But Sir Grimble was in a bolder mood.

“I am Sir Edgard,” stated the knight. “I challenge any who would cross.”

Brockton’s Master

After some questioning, the knight admitted the reason for his vigil. He was the master of the village of Brockton, which lay beyond the bridge. A hideous Ogre had taken his wife and children hostage. The Ogre had demanded that the knight guard the bridge or his family would be forfeit.

The duel

Sir Grimble Bobbleberry rolled his eyes when he heard this story. “Very well, I accept your challenge. Let us fight!” Jonulf, Nameless X and Aldo stood and watched as the two battled. Sir Grimble wielded the Halberd of Ereworn. Jonulf could tell that Sir Edgard’s shield was enchanted also. Weapons and armour clashed and clanged as the two fought backwards and forwards on the bridge. But soon, Sir Grimble’s halberd dealt Sir Edgard a grievous blow. Blood splashed over his armour. “Do you yield?” asked Sir Grimble.

“I yield,” panted Sir Edgard.

As his prize, Sir Grimble demanded that the knight rise and accompany them to liberate his family from the Ogre and his goblin minions.

Brockton Manor

In the grey pre-dawn light the adventurers approached Brockton Manor. The village around was still asleep. Some smoke drifted from a few chimneys but the windows of the houses were dark. As had been arranged, Jonulf positioned himself with his bow near the front of the two-storey mansion in the shadow of a nearby hut. Nameless X scampered up the wall and lowered himself into the unused chimney. The others approached the back door, to which Sir Edgard possessed a key.

Inside the mansion

Nameless X stealthily lowered himself down the chimney and scouted inside. The upper floor overlooked the main hall, where a low fire burned. Suspended over the balcony via a thick rope was an iron cage containing Sir Edgard’s wife and children. Two goblins slept by the fire. Filled with the need to exterminate vermin, Nameless X murdered the first of these, but the second awoke with a cry and evaded the death-blow. More goblins emerged from above, armed with slings and a great roar could be heard from the bedroom.

At the back door

Despite the knights’ impatience, Aldo used his sorcery to see beyond the walls. He saw the Ogre in the bedroom and the sleeping goblins. He also saw that the door was bolted. However, thanks to another deft magic spell the door sprang open. Sir Grimble and Sir Edgard ran into the bedroom to confront the Ogre while Aldo and Nameless X tried to deal with the goblins. Nameless X slashed about him with Duke Darian’s sword while Aldo fired bolts of flame from his fingers.

At the front door

Jonulf heard the commotion and was disturbed by it. He couldn’t tell if his friends needed help. He edged up to try the front door but it was bolted. Things sounded serious inside so he decided to go round the back.

When he arrived he immediately saw Aldo and Nameless X engaged with goblins. A goblin had jumped up on the cage rope and was cutting through it with a knife. Jonulf gasped, then took aim with his bow, calmed his mind and loosed his arrow. The goblin fell off the rope and crashed below.

There was a mighty crash. One of the knights – was it Sir Grimble? had felled the Ogre. With a tittering shriek the goblins tried to flee. They moved fast but Jonulf managed to fell one and wound another before they got away.

Brockton restored

The ogre had been defeated. Sir Edgard’s family were unharmed and his lands were restored to him. The knight was very grateful to his rescuers.

Back to the Nameless Village

Along the mountain trails, Sir Grimble finds his lost steed Lady Buttercup. Jonulf finds a dead knight’s furs to keep out the chill.

Foaming Ale

The Duke’s death is announced to general jubilation. The village elder grants our heroes the freedom of the village — to the inkeepers annoyance. For three days, the lumpy beds and poor food of the Horned Satyr are home; and like paradise to poor tortured Jonulf, who slowly regains his strength. Sir Grimble drinks steadily.

Midnight visitors

Nameless X, restless, sees hideous shapes outlined against the moon. Three monsters land near the village. One vomits in the well while the others menace the cattle. Nameless X bolts for the field while Jonulf wakes the snoring Sir Grimble and Aldo of the Magnificently Coloured Robe.

Aldo uses sorcery to Command the well monster to attack its fellows. It does so but gets torn apart by the things. Nameless X closes, flinging glinting throwing stars. Aldo blasts impressively ineffective flaming bolts at the creatures.

Sir Grimble emerges from the inn, armour-clad and shouting war cries. Jonulf gets into the spirit of things and blows the magical hunting horn which he has carried from Duke Darrian’s castle. To his horror four red-eyed hellhounds, snapping and growling, coalesce from the mist. They don’t look at all friendly, and they leap towards Jonulf and the knight.

Out in the fields Nameless X slashes the monsters with his magical longsword while flaming bolts flicker past in the night; he chops one, then another, killing the creatures. But one foul beak pecks him on the neck, drawing blood.

Sir Grimble’s armour protects him from the worst of the snapping hellhounds, as he lays about him with the Halberd of Ereworn. Jonulf, inspired by the knight’s ramblings about courage and war, stabs one then another with his shortsword. They wound two and the others slink off. But Sir Grimble pursues — he doesn’t want these things worrying the village. Aldo joins them as they follow the blood trail to the edge of the forest. There they find the remaining hellhounds and put paid to them.

Purifying the temple

The trap-door

Beyond the throne room, coffins upon coffins: one above, pulsing magic and six below an old trap-door, rotten through but Jonulf so frail from torture that he skips over it like a child. But where is the pale visitor?

Attack of the wolf

No pale man but the direst of wolves haunts the halls beyond. If not for strong blows from Sir Grimble, Nameless X and Aldo, they and Jonulf too would be wolf-food.

Towers, crypts and gates

The tower of illusions

Up, up the darkened northern tower, pursued by chittering shadows, Jonulf recoils from the door at the top but its dangers are mundane: a spear trap, deftly sidestepped. Beyond the door is the bedroom of the dead lady Alyssa, who preferred to starve to death rather than endure the Duke’s company – and who could blame her?

Coffin-crawler Jonulf

Nameless X decided that lantern-bearer Jonulf should earn his keep; the rest lower him down to the six sarcophagi. All are empty but one, plush with cushions: the coffin of the pale one. That one is not here, but a mirror-gate leads back to the kitchens and courtyard.

The halberd of Ereworn

A weapons room in chaos near the exit and there, gleaming, the Halberd of Ereworn. But axes, arrows and swords fling themselves at our heroes. Brave Sir Grimble risks the blows and grasps the halberd from its resting place.

Walking free

The Duke is dead. The companions pause to bury their former companion Zagro. They walk from the dark castle toward the Pagan Mountains and Jonulf’s monastery.

The upper levels

Knight Fight

Two black knights and their whelps heard the hubbub and gave chase. Arrows took the hounds; spears and blade to the rest.

Throne of Evil

Strange tapestries wove flying devils which screeched and attacked. A secret compartment in the throne unfurled a ribbon stair from above.

The Cultist

A putrid temple with a mad old priest. More demons caged, then released.

Guardroom

Black guards aplenty with gambling decks. Taken by surprise; no chance for them now.

Fake Duke

A rich bed with a foul occupant, quickly dispatched. Nameless X found a shiny (but useless) sword and a secret door behind the grate.

Duke Darrian

First Nameless then Sir Grimble imprisoned with a glance. The old Duke stands there, a phantom swordsman by his side. Zagro drinks a potion and leaps, a snarling sabretooth – into deadly lightning bolts from the sorcerer’s hands. The phantom strikes and misses Aldo, who hurls the spear of Ereworn —

The old and frail body of Duke Darian is dead and bleeding on the floor of the top room of his tower, impaled on the Spear of Ereworn. The body of Zagro the Warlock lies nearby, a large hole burnt into his side and his fine ringmail torn asunder by the evil magic of the Duke. Sir Grimble Bobbleberry is saddened by the passing of his friend, even though he was a strange foreigner with a large nose and Bobbleberry had trouble remembering his name. Aldo of the Brilliantly Coloured Robe is feeling much relieved as there is no longer a phantom sword hanging over his head. Nameless X examines the sword he picked out of Darian’s dead hands, wondering if it will also snap as easily as the one he found on the floor below. Meanwhile Jonulf, the rescued prisoner, hangs back near the entrance. He is excited that a segment of the Crystal of Elvaron has been found, despite also feeling sad at the loss of his good friend Merec, priest of the True Faith, who was tortured to death in Darian’s dungeons. He is suffering from malnutrition, fatigue and atrophy, and has a mental block that is preventing the use of the mind techniques he was taught by his mentor. Hopefully he can overcome his psychic block and help rid Ereworn of its curse.

Into the dungeons

After a rough night in the abandoned room in Ereworn Castle, the four adventurers Sir Grimble Bobbleberry, Zagro the Warlock, Aldo of the Brilliantly Coloured Robe and Nameless X descended past the kitchen to the cellar. But the steps kept descending to a strange underground dining room. Rotting food and trash covered the tables, but the torches were lit and a curious magical fire burned without cease in the grate. Zagro found a secret cupboard with motionless zombie servants; he shut the door hastily. Nameless X noticed a passageway beyond the fireplace. He dived through the fire but could not escape some burns.

The Jailer

In the corridor beyond, Nameless X heard — and saw — a huge man approaching: the Jailer! Hearing Nameless’ shouts, the others joined the battle. The jailer captured Sir Grimble with a magical chain, but died soon.

Torture chamber

They found the prison and torture chamber. A man was tormented on the rack by skeletons with red-hot pokers. He was Jonulf, a broken mystic.

The Oubliette

Something called for help from one of the dark oubliette’s near the prison. But ascending the rope was a monstrous thing indeed, and hard to kill.

Black knight attack

They climbed up stairs from the prison, and found themselves in one of the towers. A black knight attacked them, in vain.

Zombie archers

Zombie archers aimed their weapons into the courtyard below; they did not expect to be attacked from the towers. The adventurers made short work of them.

The broken window

The wind howled through a broken window in front of an empty pedestal in a great hall. Weary Jonulf explained the history of the crystal with which the last sorcerer-king had kept evil from the kingdom, and what happened after.

The miserable village had little but good cheer for the heroes as they set off to put paid to the hated Duke. Zagro did persuade the blacksmith to repair his spear (which had been bitten by a magical fountain in the woods).

The high road and the low

There was one quick way to the Duke’s mountain castle — a mysterious black carriage led by black horses which the Duke sent to a certain clearing in the woods. Zagro, Aldo and Sir Grimble had seen it before. This time Aldo and Nameless jumped inside. Zagro and Sir Grimble decided to ride alongside. The carriage lurched off, and the two followed at an easy pace until an unseasonable storm blew up in the mountains. Snow flurries almost blinded the riders and they lost sight of the carriage.

The black carriage

Inside the carriage it seemed to Aldo and Nameless X that it was lurching along at a furious pace, bumping and bouncing along the mountain path. Before too long it lurched on to a cobbled path and into the gates of a mountain fortress. It came to rest in a torchlit courtyard. Arrows began to fly from the slit windows above! Also and Nameless X dodged and weaved, and found their way through a kitchen doorway. Traversing a few more doors and they were attacked some of the Duke’s mechanical armoured guards. Aldo and Nameless beat them off and retreated upwards through a trap door to one of the outer towers of the castle. This area seemed quieter and more defensible than the rest of the fortress, so they decided to rest a while.

Yeti attack!

In the snowstorm Zagro and Sir Grimble encountered a monstrous Yeti, which slashed the warlock with its powerful claws. Zagro impaled it with his spear and the monster retreated into the snow. Sir Grimble spotted a light through the flurries and they made their way to a fire in front of a cave. A serene-looking man sat there, dressed in white robes but not apparently feeling the cold. He invited the pair to share his fire. The man told a tale of petitioning the Duke, only to have the tyrant unleash his dogs upon him. Sir Grimble became particularly sleepy, but Zagro stayed awake. To his surprise the white-robed man vanished. Sir Grimble slept soundly. In the grey light of morning they searched the cave and found a skeleton dressed in tattered white robes and a small chest of potions.

Invisible bridge

Zagro and Sir Grimble followed the mountain path to a narrow bridge. Something about that bridge seemed odd to Zagro — he realised it was an illusion covering a deep abyss. Not far away were carriage tracks which seemed to lead directly toward a chasm, but with a step of faith Zagro and Sir Grimble realised the invisible bridge was solid. They continued on their way as a cry of rage emanated from the chasm.

Reunited

Nameless X spotted Sir Grimble and Zagro approaching the keep. He and Aldo waved to them. Zagro used his sorcery to levitate Sir Grimble’s rope across the moat which divided the tower from the path. Then they clambered up, leaving their black steeds behind.

From the Runes of Skagharin

The wizard’s workroom

Sure enough, Moonshadow had found trouble. He had wandered downstairs, back to the cellar, and found a secret door. Fortunately Freilen (who always seemed to have his eye on the tall elf) noticed his departure and led the others down after him. They found a secret workroom. There were several more zombies surrounding the body of a wizard. Even more disturbing — a pentagram was inscribed on the floor. It contained a hateful undead creature which looked evilly at the companions. The zombies attacked and were quickly dealt with. Dintari warned the others not to obscure the pentacle. The wizard, it turned out, was still alive, though barely.

Wizard’s treasure

Behind the pentagram, perilously close to it, was a door. Moonshadow deftly crept through it but Skagharin wanted to go no closer to the thing in the pentagram. Freilen also slipped by. Moonshadow emerged with reports of a hidden chest of treasure. Skagharin’s eyes lit up — but he still kept his eye on the undead thing in the circle. After recovering the treasure, they sealed the cellar with the undead thing still inside.

Buried treasure

It was Frankie who had the idea of burying the treasure on the island; all agreed. They found a deserted beach not far from the forest, and buried the treasure deep, for later recovery. Then they considered what to do with the mage.

In the end, they carried the vegetative wizard back to Lord Urgyle and explained the situation. Urgyle asked many questions, but in the end he released his prisoner, Ragnar of Durndorth

Ragnar of Durndorth

Skagharin gave a show of treating Ragnar roughly on the way back to Lassa’s Grace, but once on board he released the dwarf from his bonds and told him of their mission. Ragnar was keen to return to Durndorth but Skagharin insisted he should instead return to Owain the Merchant in Criggen Varas. He had no wish to linger longer on the Isle of Scarsy.

Return to Criggen Varas

Lassa’s Grace pulled out with the morning tide. As the Isle of Scarsy fell away, Skagharin felt some relief at having evaded Lord Urgyle’s tax-collectors. He knew they must return — both to collect their buried treasure and possibly to help Ragnar back to his homeland, but for now the dangers of Enom Tor were behind them.

From the Runes of Skagharin

Enom Tor

Blood in the snow

It was Wodensday the 21st of Baelmonth, a still, cold day. Skagharin and his friends trudged through through the silent snowy woods towards the beacon tower of Enom Tor. Expecting trouble, Skagharin had donned his mail shirt and carried his new double-handed hammer. Apart from the mail it was almost like his old mining days. Suddenly — THWACK, he walked into a low hanging branch. He needed to keep his mind on the present.

They had not gone far before Freilin spotted a large splash of blood on the snow. Nearby was the oversized paw print of some kind of giant feline. Lions? Wild cats? There was no body and no drag marks. They moved on cautiously, staying upwind of the bloodstain.

The tower

The tower was built on a wide undercroft. There was no sign of life as they approached, so Freilin, Moonshadow and Frankie crept past the door, which was hanging half off its hinges. Dintari and Skagharin stood guard outside — until the sudden scrape and crash of furniture alerted them that all was not well.

Monstrous felines

They found a chaotic scene. Furniture was scattered and upended. In the doorway of the bedroom were two bizarre cat-like creatures, jet black with clawed tentacles waving menacingly from their hindquarters. Frankie was trying to push a table to block the doorway, but was straining and struggling. Moonshadow and Freilin readied their bows to either side.

Skagharin rushed to the table and shoved with considerable force. The table screeched to the door, but the cat-thing was faster. It burst through, knocking the table over onto Frankie and the dwarf — only to receive Moonshadow’s arrow through its eye at point blank range. It shuddered and collapsed.

The second black tentacular feline leaped through, swatting Skagharin with its tentacles as it did so. If he had not been wearing mail, the vicious claws would have ended his life. As it was he was bruised and winded from the blow. The creature seemed to shimmer when his companions struck at it; they often missed. Raising his hammer high Skagharin smashed the creature’s spine. Moonshadow blasted it almost simultaneously with his pretty pretty magical darts. For the first time ever Skagharin saw a gleam of respect in the elf’s eyes.

After the fight

All was quiet once the dreadful cat-things had been killed. Skagharin and Freilin had both been wounded. When Skagharin tried to physick Freilin, the stunted one passed out from the pain. Moonshadow did a similar botched job on Skagharin’s wound. Elves!

Meanwhile, Dintari and Frankie explored. They found a kitchen and pantry and they cooked up some food while waiting for Freilin to regain consciousness. Moonshadow found a locked chest with some gold, a silver dagger and two potions. Skagharin claimed the dagger, and Freilin (when he awoke) drank one potion and revived considerably.

The Cellar

They continued to explore. In the cellar were four zombies who pursued them up the stairs and were easily destroyed. The cellar contained alchemical ingredients, some of which were valuable.

Heights of the tower

Leaving the cellar, they ascended the stairs, past a storeroom and up to a trapdoor which felt strangely warm. Pushing through the trapdoor they found themselves in a light-filled room, full of steamy vegetation. The air was warm and earthy. The walls were made of white-coloured glass. An iron spiral staircase wound up through the centre of the room. Chained to the floor was a strange bird-headed humanoid. Frankie gave the creature some food and cautiously approached. The bird-man seemed non-hostile and intelligent, so Frankie unlocked its manacles. The birdman ran out and downstairs.

The Bellows Fellow

Above the garden was the top of the tower. The beacon was there, unlit. A solitary zombie pumped a bellows which had become detached from the foghorn. Frankie rushed over and killed the zombie. The tower was quiet, no sign of the mage Carthadon. It seemed the beasts below had escaped from captivity and..maybe eaten him? Skagharin looked down at the island below, then looked around him. Where was Moonshadow?

From the Runes of Skagharin

The Outer Islands

A winter voyage

It was the 16th day of Baelmonth, winter time and not the best for sea voyaging. Nevertheless Skagharin and his crew reckoned it would be possible to make the Isle of Scarsy. Skagharin knew of the place through his travels up and down this coast. He estimated about three days’ sail. Fortune’s fickle though; he estimated wrongly. Soon Lassa’s Grace was outfitted and the city of Criggen Varas slipped away abaft the beam.

Corpse afloat

After a day or so, Frankie spotted what looked like a raft with a castaway aboard. Skagharin steered the ship close by and Frankie jumped down to investigate. As he did so, Skagharin heard a noise on the other side of the ship. He turned and saw fish-like boarders creeping up over the railing.

Sea-devil attack!

Moonshadow, Freilin, Dintari and Skagharin rushed to defend their ship. More fish-men emerged from the sea, firing crossbow bolts from the water. Meanwhile Frankie found only a bloated corpse on the raft below — a baited trap! The battle was short and sharp. Skagharin and Freilin were wounded with arrows but the sea-devils were driven off the boat and back to the briny depths.

Man overboard

A day after the seadevil attack a sudden gust of wind almost tipped the boat over. Everyone was jolted, but Dintari stumbled and fell overboard. Frankie tied a rope to himself and swan dived — only to crack his head on the railing and plummet into the water unconscious. Two men overboard! Cursing, Skagharin dived in to save his friend (who was a poor swimmer), while the elves hauled Frankie aboard. Wet and bedraggled, they continued their voyage to the Isle of Scarsy.

Isle of Scarsy

Lassa’s Grace floated into Scarsy Harbour after six days at sea. Scarsy Town was a typical small fishing village. The crew disembarked and made their way to a harbourside tavern. After some warming ales, the locals recommended a visit to the local lord, Lord Urgyle. They were more reticent with regard to Ragnar of Derndorth, though they did mention a colony of dwarves elsewhere on the island.

Meeting with Lord Urgyle

It was a short trip up the hill to Lord Urgyle’s manor. After a brief wait he granted them an audience. As it turned out, his opinion of Ragnar of Derndorth was low: “a smuggler and a thief”. Dintari gave him the impression that Ragnar was wanted for further punishment by Owain of Criggen Varas. Urgyle agreed to hand over the dwarf in exchange for help with a certain matter. The nearby beacon tower of Carthadon had gone dark, except for a strange shimmering light a week ago. The healer in charge of the tower had made no report. Urgyle wanted someone to investigate. Dintari agreed to perform the task.

From the Runes of Skagharin

Sea voyage to Criggen Varas

Farewell to Brutarl

Lassa’s Grace made ready to cast off from Skull Island and its miserable village. But Brutarl was having none of it. He plucked his weapons and some treasures from the hold and strode off into the hills, barely looking back.

Aground…at sea

Things were a lot quieter without impatient Brutarl around. The ship sailed through the waves and Skagharin was slightly cheered by finally having another halfway competent sailor on board. But Fate punishes those who get too cocky, and there was a terrible wrenching sound as the boat struck a submerged rock. Skagharin cursed but Lassa’s Grace did not break up and he managed to steer the her out of danger. He ignored Moonshadow’s scornful gaze. If that preening alien would spend as much time learning to sail as combing his hair these dangers might never have happened!

Tower in the sea

The next day, Freilen spotted a strange tower in the sea. Skagharin altered course to investigate. It was a stone tower with shuttered windows. Its closed wooden door was very close to sea level, though not awash. The crew disembarked to investigate. Frankie heard a strange splash near the boat, but saw nothing. Frelin considered climbing up to the tower window. Suddenly the tower trembled. Skagharin ordered everyone back to the boat. No sooner than they had boarded Lassa’s Grace and cast off, the mysterious tower sank beneath the waves.

Criggen Varas

On the fourth day at sea they sighted Criggen Varas. They paid the harbour taxes and went ashore. Dintari, Skagharin and Frankie visited the market place to sell their treasures, while the elves remained aboard. Skagharin let Dintari do the talking.

After selling their wares, the crew of Lassa’s Grace sought the merchant Owain, father of the unfortunate Melisana. His mansion was up on the hill.

The house of Owain

Owain was very distressed to hear of his daughter’s death. The adventurers retired to their inn but later received a message from the merchant. He apologised for his rudeness and invited them to share his hospitality, but please not to attend his daughter’s funeral. The mansion was very comfortable after the rigours of the last few weeks.

Skagharin spent some time training. After all he had seen, he had decided he needed more skill in heavy combat, not just tavern-brawling. And if it were to be heavy, no bones about it then. None of this prancing about like an elf. He bought himself a huge double-handed hammer, quite similar to his mining sledgehammers of old; it would crack skulls as well as rocks if necessary.

Adventurers’ bond

Later, Owain sent for the adventurers again. There was, he said, a dwarf named Ragnar of Derndorth, a trading partner from Scarsy, one of the outer islands of Ellesland. This Ragnar had disappeared a few months back, and Owain was keen to contact him over some unpaid debts. Owain agreed to pay 400 gold if Ragnar could be found.

Skagharin, Moonshadow, Dintari, Freilin and Frankie eyed each other. They had faced many dangers together. They agreed to stay together and adventure aboard Lassa’s Grace, sharing any treasure gained. Dintari accepted Owain’s offer.